Teno Rural Park

At the north-western tip of Tenerife, the Teno massif is one of the oldest parts of the island: its rocks are between 3.5 and 6.5 million years old. Time has carved out immensely deep ravines here, and cliffs that plunge into the sea, such as the famous Acantilados de los Gigantes.

It has been a rural park since 1994 and covers around 8,000 hectares in the municipalities of Buenavista del Norte, Los Silos, Santiago del Teide and El Tanque. It is not an uninhabited park: small communities of farmers and shepherds still live in its villages, among traditional houses, terraced fields and vegetable gardens.

Masca and its gorge

Masca is the park’s most famous village: a cluster of houses among palm trees and rock faces, reached by a spectacular mountain road. From here the Barranco de Masca runs down to the sea and the little Masca beach.

The gorge trail is now regulated: you can only walk it downhill (about 5 km, 4 hours), and booking in your own name is compulsory, on the official Camino del Barranco de Masca website. Walkers set off in the morning, in groups, on the days shown in the booking calendar; for non-residents prices start at around €40, and children under 8 are not allowed. At the bottom you return by boat to Los Gigantes, with a separate ticket sold by authorised companies.

To reach the start of the trail you need to take the TITSA 355 bus from Santiago del Teide: the starting point cannot be reached by private car.

Punta de Teno

Punta de Teno is the westernmost tip of the island, with its lighthouse, deep-blue sea and views of the cliffs of Los Gigantes. While works are under way, the TF-445 road is closed every day to private cars, pedestrians and cyclists: you can only get there on the TITSA 369 bus from Buenavista del Norte, which takes about 20 minutes, or by taxi, from 10:00 to 19:00 (8:00 to 20:00 in summer).

Villages and viewpoints

• Teno Alto: a plateau of pastures and stone houses, with goat farms.
• El Palmar: a farming valley on the road between Buenavista del Norte and Masca.
• Buenavista del Norte and Los Silos: towns on the north coast with well-preserved historic centres.
• Santiago del Teide: at around 900 metres, this is the starting point for Masca from the south.
• Mirador de Cherfe: at around 1,100 metres, on the road between Santiago del Teide and Masca, with a dizzying view over the massif.
• Mirador de la Cruz de Hilda: at km 14 of the TF-436, the classic viewpoint over the village of Masca.

By car and by bus

The TF-436, which links Santiago del Teide with Buenavista del Norte via Masca, is narrow and full of hairpin bends: drive carefully and watch out for buses. Vehicles over 10 metres long are not allowed on it. On days with a fire alert, the Cabildo (the island council) closes it to tourist vehicles and hire cars from 9:00 to 16:00, so check the alerts before you set off. The TITSA 355 bus links Buenavista del Norte, El Palmar, Masca and Santiago del Teide.

The Los Pedregales visitor centre, in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, is open daily from 9:30 to 16:30 and provides information on the park’s trails.

Photo gallery